Cold Reunions
by Punkflame
Summary: **Takes Place in Pearl84's Checkmate universe, post Checkmate** Takes place around Urban Jungle. Danny is having a power spike, and his ice core energy is taking him over. Basically a sick fic with remnants of the CM bonding and Danny needing help and being an not accepting the help he needs.


I couldn't even believe it. One week. Starting Wednesday they were going away for one whole week. Apparently, Aunt Alicia ran into some sort of problem and since Jazz was at her week-long college orientation from Monday to Monday, mom and dad, being over at Alicia's said I was "unattended" for the week.

I'm fifteen! I can look after myself for less than a week, it's not like I'm just a kid or something!

Because of this, they felt the need to find me some supervision, since no one would be around Wednesday to Monday and I couldn't come because I really needed to catch up on school.

I guess I should have known as soon as I found out they were going away, who else would they get really?

I was still pretty upset, after all, who wouldn't be? Not even just because everything that happened, but because of what had happened after.

I can't believe I ever trusted him.

Since I had gotten back to Amity, things had been getting worse and worse. First the whole conflict over the town and our back and forth throughout that, but even just last week with the Infi-Map and everything following.

That jerk took everything that I told him, everything about me, and he used it to hurt me. He took all of the trust I placed in him and crushed it. That stupid hypocrite gets infuriated at the thought, the smallest possibility of betrayal, but then turns around and does the exact same thing!

I may have been able to deal with him, but then again, I was so super tired. I could barely drag myself up out of bed in the mornings. I thought I must have been getting sick or something because I hadn't only been getting tired, but I was always cold. I must have just been getting sick.

None the less I still wasn't looking forward to seeing him again, and having him 'look after me' for like a week. "Maybe I could just avoid him the whole time," I said before smacking myself, if he actually agreed to come, it was for a reason he wouldn't let me get away with that.

Why had he agreed to this anyways? Was he not still my self-proclaimed enemy now? My heart pulled a little, maybe that's why he had agreed to come. To antagonize me.

The doorbell rang and I heard my dad answer it as Vlad came in. I sighed and made no inclination to move from my bed. I scanned the screen of my laptop, unsure what I had even been about to do on it and closed my the screen, and listened to what was going on downstairs.

Why had I agreed to do this? For the very life of me, I couldn't figure it out. Even if we were on good terms I am sure Daniel would not appreciate me being enlisted to look after him as his parents were away. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Especially so given our current situation and the gravity of our conflict.

It was a week, not even. I had looked after him for far longer before, I could do it again. So long as the boy wasn't especially difficult. I shook my head at the ridiculous thought. After the… conclusion of our time together, he had been downright vicious towards me, as if it had been my fault that he had turned his back on me the second his friends had arrived. I do suppose I could have… no, no my hand was forced, though I cannot pretend that I do not wish that things were different now. I cannot pretend that things could not have perhaps turned out better.

I materialized around the corner from the house and walked the rest of the way knocking on the door. I had agreed to this now, regardless as to why. Jack immediately opened the door and crushed me in a hug. Typical. "Thanks again for coming, don't know who we would have gotten without you!" I followed him into the kitchen. I scanned around as if excepting to see the boy, only to mentally reprimand myself. He would, of course, know it would be me coming to monitor him, and would most likely be avoiding me. As well as the fact that I should not be so intensely in need of finding him. I glared at the ceiling.

I felt like I was in a loop, why was I doing this again?

Jack, Maddie and I exchanged pleasantries, though in no time I stood alone in the kitchen, wondering if I should even try talking to him yet. Even if I were to what would I say? What sort of thing could we now talk about that would spiral into a heated argument escalating into a full-blown fight that I was in no mood to participate in? No, not this time. I sighed, and after a bit of searching I found and put the kettle to boil.

How could I possibly break the ice, without that not being the only thing broken? We couldn't possibly go this whole time without seeing each other once, in the mansion, perhaps, but not in a house this size.

My question was answered when I heard a door open and footsteps pad down the stairs before coming into the kitchen. For some reason even in the heat of the still warm autumn, he was wearing a winter jacket. Actively ignoring me he grabbed an apple from a bowl of fruit and turned to walk back upstairs.

"Is that all you're having? Its nearly time for dinner, if you are eating now you should eat something substantial, or you will spoil your appetite."

Stopping in his tracks he turned locked eyes with me, took a large bite, and walked back to his room. I scoffed. What else could I really expect from him?

But I had to ask myself, was I anticipating something different? It was not truly easy being enemies with him again, after the time we spent together, even after he turned his back on me. I do miss the positive relationship we had, regardless. My grip tightened on my mug, as I felt my eyes flash red. Curse him! Always getting me so caught up in my mind and emotions. Even months later he still affected me so much.

I was soon again lost in my thoughts and before I knew it I had drained my tea. I turned to look at the clock on the stove, 7:46pm nearly an hour had passed since Daniel was last down and I had not heard a peep since.

I brought my mug over to the sink and while washing it gave some consideration. Ultimately making my decision I started up the stairs. "Better to get this over with now".

I hesitantly approached his bedroom door and gave a light rap on it. With no response, I tried again, with repeated results I entered the room. Expecting to find him on his computer watching tv, or doing something else to avoid me, I was surprised to find him asleep, especially considering the time. I frowned at the large bundle of blankets and walked over to where his head was sticking out, placing my hand over his forehead. I was shocked to find not hot feverish temperature, but an extremely cold one! I pondered for a second, then stopped in my tracks, how was I letting myself get wrapped up in the boy's problems again? My two sides of my conscience battled against one another before I made my decision. Blast.

I lightly shook his shoulder. "Daniel, wake up" He barely even groaned in response. I sighed and placed my hand on his chest, where his core would be in his ghostly form. Even dormant its dormant state and in his current shape, I could feel the icy energy emanating from it his centre. I gave him a stronger shake, knowing I would need him to morph to get a proper stance on where his energy and developing ice levels were.

His eyes slowly began to open as he sunk further into his blanket pile, huffing he covered his head, and muttered a muffled "Go away"

Sighing again, I pulled the blankets back. "Daniel, really now, stop being so childish and listen to me for once." I was met with a simple glare. "It is evident you are having some problems with your abilities, and you need to take care of it. Did you not learn a thing from last time?" With that, he turned his eyes down and pulled his blankets tighter. "I don't need your help. I'm f- I'm fine."

"Just could you please let me help you. You're developing a whole new kind of energy, remember I told you that you have a cooler core? Daniel at this rate if you don't let it out you could freeze to death!"

He turned and looked at me, straight into my eyes in that very same way that always confused and slightly unsettled me. What does he look for?

Slowly he moved from his cocoon, shaking and shivering too violently to be able to bear. "Try morphing for me, alright Daniel." He nodded and complied. For a moment he stopped shaking altogether, and looked down at himself, and then to me, but it did not last. In an instant, it came back full force and the change was tangible. Ice started forming on his bod, and he was so cold that his lips were completely blue! He sprung from his bed in a panic his eyes wide with fear. I took one quick step towards him as he collapsed down into a shivering ball. I instantly transformed myself and scooped him up. My own hot energy instantly warming the freezing boy.

How had it gotten to this point, to have been this bad he had to have been feeling major effects of this for at least days, if not weeks! It clenched at my heart that we had gotten to the point that he, despite me saying otherwise, felt that he could not come to me for something, even such as this. It then fully hit me, where it hadn't before, that every ounce of our strong undefinable bond had been shattered to him that day. He really had it in his mind that I did not care about him anymore, that he could not trust me for help as he needed it. When in reality that would be impossible, near regardless of what could ever happen. He had entered my mind and heart now, and as much as I hoped and tried, I could not get him out of it.

While I had been lost in thought, the boy had fallen asleep, something he would not be happy about the next morning. I laid him on his bed, feeling his temperature, sighing in relief finding it nearly back to normal.

For now, I could get some rest. This week was going to be a long one, and I had no idea what to except.

I woke up feeling like I was forgetting something. I also felt a heck of a lot better, while I was still freezing, the cold sensation was not so overpowering that I could not stand up, like it was last night.

Last night, trying to figure out what was missing from my mind I went over the events from the night before in my head. Vlad came over, I grabbed some food, he tried to lecture me or something, I went upstairs, ate, and needed to lay down. After that… blank. Did Vlad come up? I couldn't fully remember, but I remember the sensation of his energy and a flash of images of him being annoying and all concerned over nothing. Darn. If I couldn't remember I must have really been out of it, which means venerable, which is so not good for him to see me as – not again.

Reluctantly I got up and started heading downstairs, briefly looking at the time. When I did I stopped in my tracks. I mean normally I sleep in, but it was two in the afternoon! Getting over the surprise of how long I really slept, I continued down the stairs into the kitchen. Where Vlad was sitting at the table with his paper and his lunch. I was hit with a feeling of déjà vu from after the whole walker thing. How when I came down to try to make amends and how drastically things between us changed from that point on.

He was going to be here for the next week, I could either play nice, or be difficult. Considering how apparently sick I was, I decided playing nice was probably the better option. It was time to give this another shot

"Hey." His eyes shot up to me and I briefly saw surprise in his eyes, and then it looked like he maybe had the same thought I had, this seemed so familiar, but still so different at the same time.

"You're awake." He looked down to his lunch. "Hungry?" I nodded, noticing my hunger and went to sit down, as he stood up.

"What would you like, though I'm sure I already know." He gave a small smirk, before turning to the cabinets.

"Honestly, anything would be fine, I'm not going to be overly picky." Seeming a little surprised at the response, he put a pot on to boil, and chose a sauce from the other cupboard to accompany the spaghetti he had taken out.

Ten minutes later I was eating and Vlad was not so inconspicuously studying me from over his paper. "What are you doing, Vlad?" He returned his gaze back to his paper. "Nothing at all Daniel." He paused for a moment and then put down his paper before looking back at me.

"How are you feeling today?" Great. I really didn't want to deal with this.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it."

He sighed. "Daniel, can you not just let me help you? You are clearly having some issues you cannot deal with by yourself, just let me help."

Reining my anger in a bit at the small maybe unintentional jab, I looked back at him. " Honestly I don't see what the big deal is, I'm just a bit tired and a bit cold. I'm probably just sick or something."

"That's not what I witnessed last night, Daniel this isn't just some flu bug, its related to your abilities and you know that." That's when the memories of last night came back to me, and _everything_ that happened. My eyes fell to my half eaten lunch.

He sighed again. "Daniel, how long have you been affected by this cold to this in this way?"

I had to stop and think for a minute, I had decided to comply. What would it hurt really? "Maybe about a week, week and a half." He nodded. "Has your energy been elevated as well?" he asked staring intently at me again. "Uh, a little bit, not too much though."

"Alright. Is there anything else I should know, Daniel?" he cocked an eyebrow. "Not that I can think of really, no." He finally looked away and took the dishes to the washer. "I want to keep an eye on you and how this progresses for now." He took a look at me. "I do appreciate you co-operating Daniel, so I will thank you for that." My face got a bit hot as I'm sure I blushed. "Uh, yeah. Um, you're welcome."

I looked over to the stove which read three o'clock. Wait. I jumped up. "It's Wednesday! Oh no, oh no, I missed class all day!" I spun around, "Why didn't you wake me up?!"

He simply raised an eyebrow. "Don't overexert yourself Daniel, have a seat. You were very weak and needed to sleep as long as your body required it."

Urgh, why does he always have to do that. Be all logical and stuff.

"Why don't you give your friends a call now that the classes are about to end, knowing them, they are sure to be anxious as to where you got off to." With that he turned and walked into the living room, having a seat on the couch.

I walked up to my room picking up my phone. I would have to tell them something. I didn't think they would like whatever it was, so I braced myself and dialed.


End file.
